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Give the Gift
David A. Sargent

Having trouble selecting that perfect gift for someone? Someone has suggested the following:

Give the Gift of Listening – Really listen. No interrupting, no daydreaming, no planning your response. Just listening.

Give the Gift of Affection – Be generous with appropriate hugs, kisses, pats on the back and handholds. Let these small actions demonstrate the love you have for family and friends.

Give the Gift of Laughter – Clip cartoons, share articles, funny stories, and a good joke. Your gift will say, "I love to laugh with you."

Give the Gift of a Written Note – It can be a simple "Thanks for the help" note or an "I appreciate you" note. A brief, handwritten note may be remembered for a lifetime, and may even change a life.

Give the Gift of a Compliment – Everyone needs encouragement. Mark Twain said, "One compliment can keep me going for a whole month."

Give the Gift of a Favor – Go out of your way to do something kind for someone.

Give the Gift of Solitude – There are times when we want nothing more than to have some peace and quiet. Be sensitive to those times, and give the gift of solitude to others.

Give the Gift of a Cheerful Disposition – The easiest way to feel good is to extend a kind word to someone. It's not hard to be polite and courteous, to say "hello" or "thank you."

But as we enter this Christmas season, why not pass on the BEST GIFT?
Share the fact that the "GIFT OF GOD" is eternal life in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:23).

The BAD NEWS... "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" and "the wages of sin is DEATH" (Romans 3:23; 6:23).

The GOOD NEWS... God sent Jesus to die on the cross for our sins (Ephesians 1:7). If we will respond to Him in trusting obedience, believing and trusting Him (Acts 16:30-31), turning from sin in repentance (Acts 17:30-31), confessing Him before men (Romans 10:9-10), and being baptized (immersed) in His name for the forgiveness of sins (Acts 2:38), then He will save us from sin and give us the gift of eternal life.

The BEST GIFT of all is Jesus Christ! "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift" (2 Corinthians 9:15).

Won't YOU receive the Gift on His terms? Won't YOU share the Gift with others?

Odd Bits of Wisdom

• He who says all he knows often says more than he really knows.
• He who tells all he hears often tells more than he really heard.
• He who spends all that he has spends more than he really has.
• He who covets all he sees often wants more than he really sees.
• It would be easier to save something for a rainy day if it didn?t rain so often.
• Strange how the man who expects so little from himself expects so much from others.
• By the time a man realizes that his father was right he has a son who is sure he is wrong.
• Strange isn?t it, how many want to be near enough to Christ to bask in His glory but not near enough to help carry His cross?